


Oh Oh, It's Magic

by Overanalyzer



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Challenge Response, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 18:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5175527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Overanalyzer/pseuds/Overanalyzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason finally gets to meet another sorcerer. And he's cute, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh Oh, It's Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [razielim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/razielim/gifts).



> A (very late, my apologies) entry for razielim's Veni Vidi Jercy challenge. The prompt was "wizard au".
> 
> I cut away at this for the longest time (lots of meandering), but I'm reasonably satisfied with the current state of it. I knew if I didn't finish it by the time Fallout 4 released I never would.

Jason had never met another mage before. Ever since he was six, and summoned a gust of wind to knock down a bully, when a shocked Thalia had told him he must _never_ do that where other people could see again. She'd said that there were superstitious people in the world who would try to hurt him if they saw, and that he needed to keep himself safe by keeping his magic a secret. So he'd stayed quiet, only ever venturing deep into the woods to practice and using these skills to fight only when he had to. He'd always dreamed, though, of meeting a fellow sorcerer.

"Get down!"

_Now_ he was pinned under one.

A boulder passed a few feet over Jason and the other wizard. Had they been standing, the both of them would have died. As it was, Jason got a good look at a pair of very pretty green eyes before the stranger rolled off him and got to his feet. Jason had barely stood himself when the giant that had come rampaging through this village sent another boulder their way. But the thing's aim was off, and the rock simply sheared away half a roof and landed out of sight. As the monster roared at the sky in fury, Jason and the other boy ran for cover, with Jason ducking behind a blacksmith's shop.

Jason hadn't meant to get dragged into a fight, really he hadn't; especially not with a great big monster. He'd only wanted to board the ferry that took travelers downriver to the capital. Jason's mother was an actress at the most prestigious theater in the country, and she'd arranged for him to return and take a job there as well. _'It's better than the army,'_ her letter had said, _'and I'd like one of my babies close, at least.'_ An actor's life didn't sound all that great to Jason, but he'd been lonely since Thalia had left to join some band of hunters that only took women, and there didn't seem to be any wars on, so he'd have make a living somehow.

His sleep that morning had been interrupted by the innkeeper banging loudly on his door, screaming at all his patrons to wake up and run. No sooner had Jason woken and dressed than an enormous rock had sailed right through the inn, leaving him moments to escape before the building collapsed. Right on top of Jason's things, including his sword and all his money.

The last few surviving guards had made their stand at the edge of town. All the villagers had fled, save one: A young man about Jason's age, dressed in riding leathers over a faded blue shirt, with black hair and a sword at his waist. But he wasn't using the sword. The boy's eyes had glowed a bright green as he swiped at the empty air with one hand. With every gesture, water flew from a hastily opened barrel behind him, right into the giant's eyes, irritating the beast and allowing the guards a chance to feather it with a few more arrows. Jason had been so taken aback at the sight of somebody openly using magic, _in front of people,_ that he'd almost gotten himself crushed.

Now everyone else was dead or fled, and it was just Jason, the other boy, and one angry giant.

"You get out of here!" the stranger called in an accent Jason couldn't quite recognize, crouching behind the shattered stone wall that had, before today, been part of the village's guardhouse. Not that the town would need it; all the guards were dead. "I've got ugly!" Jason shook his head.

"I can help!" All he'd need was a few moments, enough to work a lightning spell...

The stranger frowned at that, but turned his attention back to the town square. Taking a look for himself, Jason saw that the giant had lost sight of them, looking around and grumbling with what must have been its version of annoyance. It was standing next to a well, its back to the boys' hiding spots.

The nameless sorcerer was gazing intently at that well. Jason could see that glow come back to his eyes, and both his fists were clenched. Looking back at the square, Jason was astonished to see the water gushing out of the well and spreading rapidly. A small pond was growing in the middle of the ruined town, lapping gently at the feet of the unknowing giant.

_CRRRRAAAACCCKKKK!_

Jason turned his head sharply at the sound of splintering wood, and his jaw dropped. It wasn't just the well: In the distance, Jason saw the river had totally broken its banks. The mill was being torn apart by the churning torrent, and water was rushing toward the town like a tidal wave. Rushing toward _them!_ Jason cursed and cast about for a foothold. The smith's shop was made of stone, and the building hadn't been hit yet. If there was any way to avoid being drowned, this was it. Grabbing at a window ledge, Jason pulled himself up to the roof as the water reached the town. Looking down, he grasped the other boy's plan: The river water was sweeping the debris from the fight through the square, battering their adversary with timber, masonry, abandoned wagons, and even the boulders it had been so happily throwing at them before. The giant was struggling to keep its footing. The spray kicked up by the surge had totally obscured Jason's view of the other wizard, and he said a silent prayer that the boy was alright.

The less sturdy homes and shops in the village were starting to disintegrate under the force of the deluge, creating more debris for the giant to contend with. An oxcart knocked the monster's leg out from under it, submerging the thing up to it's chest.

But it wasn't _enough_. Even now, the force of the water was starting to abate; the new lake churning violently but no longer _pushing_ as it had. A quick look across the flooded street showed Jason the sorcerer was still with them, having scrambled up to the top of the broken wall. But he looked half-dead; his face was pale, the glow had left his eyes, and he was gasping for breath. Clearly, the flood had taken a lot out of him.

A furious roar brought Jason's attention back to the giant. Having abandoned their hiding places, the two boys were exposed. And the the giant looked _pissed_. It was snarling furiously at the black-haired boy, struggling to rise and lurching in his direction.

Jason scowled. This thing had ruined hundreds of lives today, and ended dozens. An entire town had been wiped off the map to hold it back. There was no chance in hell that Jason was going to let it kill the only other sorcerer, the only person who was like him that he'd ever met, as well.

_'My turn!'_

The wind around them turned into a gale as Jason opened himself up to his power. The sky grew dark and sparks crackled between his fingers. He'd worked this spell before, but he'd never gone all out, always to afraid of attracting attention. But that didn't matter. All that mattered now was the beast in front of him, and how Jason could make it die.

Thunder boomed in Jason's ears; a constant, rapid drum beat that shook the valley. A bolt of lightning split the world before him in two, striking the water and eliciting a pained roar from the giant. Not good enough. A bolt struck the creature directly. And another. And another. And _another_. Roars had become shrieks now, and Jason thought they sounded almost like a plea for mercy. No matter. Lightning struck so quickly now that it was bright out as it would be at high noon. Fur began to smoke all over the giant's body, but the stench was carried away by the wind before it ever reached Jason. There was fire where the thing's eyes had been. The screaming stopped, and it occurred to Jason that the giant was dead at last.

The lightning ceased as soon as Jason released the spell. The giant's corpse fell back into the steaming water and Jason lost sight of it as the world started spinning. He'd never unleashed power like that before. _Why in god's name is it so hot?'_ Jason was stumbling now, as if all his strength had gone into that storm. He heard something hit the roof and realized it was him; he'd collapsed. The sky was clearing, blue once again peeking through the clouds he'd made.

_'Blue and green.'_

Those eyes were back. The boy whose name Jason still didn't know was staring down at him; talking. But the words made no sense. Nothing seemed to make sense at all, except those green eyes...

*****

The eyes, and the boy they belonged to, were there when Jason awoke.

"Can you hear me?" The boy asked. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" Jason didn't have the strength to speak, but he could manage a nod. The boy sighed with relief. "That's good. You went so far...some people don't come back from something like that." It took Jason a moment to realize he was talking about the storm Jason had conjured. 

A hand snaked under Jason's head lifting him up a bit. Another hand held a small bottle in front of him, full of a deep blue liquid. "Drink," the boy ordered, pressing the bottle to Jason's lips. It was almost tasteless, with just a slight bitterness to tell Jason he wasn't drinking water. He swallowed once, then once more before the bottle was withdrawn. Almost immediately, he felt stronger, more alert. The ache he felt was receeding. "Good, yeah? Mixed it myself. Do you feel like you can sit up?" the handsome boy asked. 

"Y-yes. I think so," Jason's voice was hoarse, but he got the words out. The stranger helped him sit up, and Jason realized they weren't in the village anymore, but rather a forest clearing. The morning sky was cool above them. "Where--?"

"About three days' ride north from where we were."

"Three days?" He'd been asleep for that long? The stranger nodded.

"I had to get you out of there before anybody showed up. Couldn't be sure if anyone saw us, and I don't think they'd take kindly to us wrecking their town. What the giant and I didn't demolish, your lightning set on fire." He cracked a smile, and Jason's stomach felt funny. It was a nice smile, to go with those nice eyes. "My name's Perseus, by the way."

"Perseus?" Not a common name.

"Percy to my friends," he grinned, "I figure taking down a giant together qualifies us. You?"

"Me?" Jason was still a _little_ out of it. The boy--Percy--chuckled.

"Your name? I'm guessing you have one?"

"Oh," Jason felt a blush in his cheeks, "I'm Jason." Percy smiled and held out his hand for Jason to take.

"Nice to meet you, Jason. You hungry?" He gestured to the campfire, where a rabbit was cooking on a spit. Jason's stomach growled in response, and the laugh that earned him made Jason blush again.

*****

"So," Percy spoke up as they ate, "that was pretty impressive, back there."

"Thanks," Jason responded, absurdly pleased by the compliment, "You too. What you did with the river, I-I've never seen anything like that."

"I could say the same about that storm of yours. There wasn't much left of that giant when you were done." Percy wrinkled his nose, "Smelled awful, by the way. Be thankful you were out of it."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Dead is dead, and that thing needed to die." Percy frowned, "I can't figure out what a giant was doing this far south, though."

"Are they not supposed to be here?" It was Jason's first chance to ask someone about this stuff, he figured he should take advantage.

Percy shrugged. "Not as far as I know," he said, "they're usually way up north, where there's fewer people and more really big things to eat." He eyed Jason strangely. "You're not used to this stuff, are you?"

"How'd you know?" Was it that obvious?

"Just a feeling. Hometown's not too friendly to magic, I take it?"

"I wouldn't know. I was the only wizard, and I kept it a secret." Jason shrugged, "Why take the risk, you know?"

Percy nodded. "Makes sense. Some people were like that where I come from," Jason perked up at that.

"Where are you from?" He still couldn't place the accent.

"An island in the eastern sea" Percy said, "A fishing village; small place. I left last year. A friend of mine ran off, and I told his sister I'd keep an eye on him. I heard he came to Olympia, so here I am.

"Huh," It was more interesting than Jason's _'my mother wants me to join her theater troupe'_ story, anyway. "Do you know where he is?"

Percy laughed again. "No," he admitted, "but I'm not worried, really. Once I hear something about the dead walking, I'll know I'm going the right way."

The dead walking? "Your friend, he's--?"

"A mage too?" Percy nodded, "Yes. A necromancer, specifically."

Jason cringed. "Necromancy? Isn't that...evil?" Percy just shrugged once again.

"Some people think so, but it's mostly harmless. Dead people don't care, and he only ever uses really old bones. It's just what he has a knack for, like my water. Personally, I think communing with spirits is way creepier than mindless corpses," Percy shivered at that, "but people only ever seem concerned with bodies. Hmm," Jason's companion looked down at himself. "Speaking of bodies, mine could use a scrub." He stood, and grabbed his bag as he did so. "There's a lake nearby. I've still got some soap left, so if you're feeling up to it, you should come and get cleaned up when you're done." Percy turned and marched off into the woods. "Don't worry about camp," he called back, "Blackjack's a great guard."

Jason looked at the horse, who sniffed as if to say _'the man's right!'_

Wrapping up the rest of the food, Jason gathered up the bag of clothing Percy had looted for him from the ruins of the town and set off after the dark-haired foreigner.

When Jason found his new friend, Percy had already disrobed and dived into the lake. His clothes were scattered about the shore. Smiling at the other's carelessness, Jason 

pulled of his own shoes, follow by his shirt and breeches, which he folded and placed next to the shoes.

The cool water felt _fantastic_ on his skin, and scrubbing days of grim from his body was positively divine. Jason dived underwater, relishing the feeling of being completely submerged. It was like heaven.

He broke the surface again and saw Percy smiling that wonderful smile at him. The other was back in the shallows, the water reaching his waist. Droplets ran down a toned chest and Jason felt himself heating up despite how cool the lake was. He couldn't help himself; Percy was good-looking and Jason had gone without for _months_. He felt getting an eyeful of the very handsome man he'd nearly died with was an acceptable reason to get aroused.

"You look like a man who could use some help." The wonderful smile had turned wicked. Percy _knew_. Just like that, the water seemed to thicken around Jason. He felt himself moving; being pulled forward into the shallow waters, until he was likewise exposed from the waist up.

"How? I-I'm-you can't--" 

"I've always had an affinity for water magic." Percy's wicked grin deepened as he approached Jason. "It can tell me things. You're self-taught, right Jason? Your spells, you cast them on instinct?" Jason nodded. He'd never had a teacher. "There are things you can't just learn on your own. Special things." They were close enough to touch now, and that's what Percy did. He ran a finger over Jason's collarbone. 

Jason moaned. Percy's touch was like a lightning spell. It was _good_. He looked into the other's face and saw those green eyes glowing again.

"This is something I learned before I left home. You'd be amazed what it can do to someone." Then the hand withdrew, and Jason almost whimpered. Was _this_ what he'd been missing out on, hiding himself like he had? "I can show you, if you want me to." He tilted his head inquisitively. "Do you want me to?" Jason nodded furiously. "I need you to say it, Jason. It won't work if you don't."

"Y-yes."

"Good." Percy leaned in close. "I hope you don't mind learning by example." Jason shook his head, that sounded _fantastic_ , actually. Percy laughed again.

"Very good," He whispered against Jason's lips.

Then he pressed a kiss to those lips, and taught Jason the true meaning of the word 'magic'.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.


End file.
